


The Lightbringer Prince

by Antarctic_Echoes



Series: Carry On, Wayward Son [1]
Category: Lucifer (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Storytelling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-19
Updated: 2016-05-19
Packaged: 2018-06-09 09:30:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6900475
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Antarctic_Echoes/pseuds/Antarctic_Echoes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Summary:  Trixie is having nightmares after the events of S01x13, so Lucifer tells her a bedtime story.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The call for help

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Polski available: [Jaśniejący Książę](https://archiveofourown.org/works/7676530) by [RCS (RadioactiveCs)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RadioactiveCs/pseuds/RCS)
  * Translation into Français available: [Le Prince Lightbringer](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14731028) by [Antarctic_Echoes](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Antarctic_Echoes/pseuds/Antarctic_Echoes), [Bebec](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bebec/pseuds/Bebec)



> This is my very first fanfiction ever. It can't compare with all the wonderful stories that all of you have written, but I hope you enjoy it. 
> 
> Disclaimer: All characters are owned by Vertigo Comics, DC Comics, Neil Gaiman, Mike Carey, and everyone else involved with the Lucifer TV show and comic books. I own nothing and make no money on this. I merely am borrowing the characters for... uh... writing practice.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Summary: Trixie is suffering from nightmares three days after the kidnapping, so Chloe gives Lucifer a call.

"Mommy!!!!"

Chloe rushed into Trixie's room at the sound of her daughter's cry.  She scooped up the sobbing girl into her arms and held her tight.  "It's okay, baby," she said.  "It's okay."

It had been three days since Trixie had been kidnapped, and every night she had woken up screaming.  The first two nights she had hardly slept, even though she had been with Chloe in Chloe's bed.

"He was here, Mommy," Trixie sobbed.  "He was here and he killed you and he killed Lucifer, and he was chasing me!"

"Shhhhh, baby, it's okay.  Mommy killed the bad man.  He won't be back."

"He killed you!"  Trixie dissolved into tears and clung to her mother.  Chloe's heart broke at her daughter's anguish and fear.  During the day, Trixie was her usual, spunky self; it was at night when her demons came out.  Chloe sat down on the bed, with Trixie in her lap, and rocked her gently.  Trixie's sobs slowly changed into little snuffles as she tried to stop crying. 

"Everything is all right now, baby," Chloe whispered, with tears in her eyes.  "You have to believe that.  I'm alive and I'm right here.  I've got you."

"I'm scared....  When is Daddy coming home?"

Chloe felt her heart drop.  She had told Trixie the first day after the kidnapping that Dan had done some bad things and would have to go to jail for them, but it didn't stop Trixie from asking for him.

"Daddy can't come home for a while, remember?" she said.  "Is there something else that will make you feel better?"

Trixie thought a moment, then said: "Can Lucifer come over, Mommy?  Please?  I want Lucifer…."

Chloe frowned.  She hadn't seen Lucifer since the kidnapping.  She had wanted to, and had picked up her phone a number of times to call, but then put it away again.  There had been something in his eyes that night when they had parted -- a haunted look she had never seen before.  He had quickly changed the subject when she had asked him what was wrong.  She wanted to help with whatever had upset him, but after seeing how skittish he seemed, she figured a little breathing room might be best before she tried again.  She missed him, though. 

"Honey, it's 1 AM.  He's probably sleeping…."

"Please, Mommy?"

Chloe looked down at her daughter's big, teary eyes and knew that she could not say no.  She sighed, knowing she was probably going to be interrupting one of Lucifer's epic threesomes, or foursomes, or whatever he did in his spare time that she did _not_ want to know about.  Would he even take her call?  She hoped so, for Trixie's sake.

"Okay, baby, but first let's get you back into bed, okay?"  After feeling the little head on her shoulder nod, Chloe set Trixie in bed and tucked the blankets around her.  "Mommy will call Lucifer now.  Hopefully he will be here shortly, okay?"

 

XOXOXO

Lucifer wasn't partying, like Chloe had assumed.  In fact, he hadn't felt like doing any such sort since his return from Hell.  He was sitting in the armchair in his flat, deeply wishing he could get drunk as he drained the whiskey in his old-fashioned glass.  He ran his hand over his face, remembering the argument he had had with Amenadiel when he told the angel that Mom was loose.  Amenadiel had immediately set upon him, heaping the blame sky-high on Lucifer's head, but Lucifer had come back with the fact that Mom had gotten loose after Amenadiel had been stabbed by Malcolm, and who was to bloody blame for bringing that crooked cop back to life?!  Amenadiel had shut up after that… for a while.  They had played the blame game off and on for the last three days, until Amenadiel had finally recovered enough to go search for Maze. 

Lucifer was glad his brother had taken his massive ego and left the flat.  He knew he had to find Mom; it weighed heavily on his mind, as did his fear of her, and the last thing he needed was Amenadiel making him feel worse than he already did.  As it was, there was a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach that had formed during his short stint in Hell and had never left.  It made him anxious and jittery, two things the Devil never was.  He really missed the days when he didn't feel any of these pesky emotions.  He'd definitely have to see Doctor Linda first thing in the morning.

His phone rang, startling him out of his brooding.  He saw that it was the detective, and felt a flutter in his chest.  It warred with the sick feeling in the pit of his stomach, making him feel... decidedly ill.  He tamped down his bloody annoying feelings and strove to sound as normal as possible.

"Detective!  Is this a late night booty call?  Because I'd be happy to comply...."

"Lucifer, _stop_.  Look, I'm so sorry to be calling so late...."  Chloe's voice sounded stressed and thin.  Lucifer instantly sat up in the armchair, alarm coming to the fore.

"Is everything all right?"  Concern washed through him, and stirred up the echoes of the overwhelming emotions that had engulfed him when he thought that Malcolm would kill her:  desperation to save her, helplessness that he could not protect her -- and something that he hadn't felt since The Fall: the fear of losing something precious to him.

"Things have been better.  Can you come over?  I need you to help with Trixie, she's--"

Lucifer heard nothing after "I need you."  He said, "I'm on my way," and hung up on her as he hurried toward the elevator. 


	2. The bedtime story

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Summary: Lucifer tells Trixie a bedtime story... a somewhat autobiographical one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for this middle part, it’s quite long.

 

 

Lucifer hopped out of his car and bounded up the drive to the front door of Chloe's house.  He still didn't understand how a simple call could have him jumping in his car and speeding over like hellhounds were nipping at his heels, and yet here he was.  He tried not to look too closely at why Chloe's "I need you" was all the incentive he needed to drop everything and come.  Many women had said those very same words to him, but none had ever had this effect.

Before he could even knock, Chloe opened the door.  It caught him by surprise; she must have been watching for him.  A shot of pleasure coursed through him.

"Hello, Detective!  Your late night lover has arrived!"

"Shhhhh, Lucifer, you'll wake the neighbors," she hissed as she pulled him inside.

"In a rush, are we?  Just a quickie, then?" he quipped.  He looked down at her as she closed the door and turned to face him.  He found her incredibly attractive, even in her old red nightshirt, but there were deep circles under her eyes, and she looked bone weary.  The smile fell from his face.  "You look awful," he blurted out.

"Sleepless nights will do that to you," she said as she took in the sight of him.  He was a feast for sore eyes, always looking so polished in his Armani suit, not a hair out of place.  But then she noticed the haggard lines on his face.  "You don't look so hot yourself.  What's wrong?"

It always caught him off-guard when she noticed that he didn't look well.  She was the only one who did, other than Maze.   All the other humans were usually too busy focusing on themselves to care.  Unused to the scrutiny, he put on his brightest smile as he struggled to find his equilibrium.  "Why, nothing that a good shag won’t cure."

"Lucifer...."

"Sex is a great stress reliever, and I'm more than willing to do my part."

Chloe studied him for a long moment, her police instincts coming to the fore.  "There _is_ something wrong." 

Lucifer's playful mask slipped.  She saw far too much, and it was unsettling.  He cleared his throat and pinned a smile on his face.  "Yes, well, it's nothing you need to be concerned with.  Personal matter."

He was shutting her out.  Chloe pushed away the hurt she felt; he wasn't a touchy-feely guy, and she knew that.  Still, she wanted to try to help him, if he'd let her.

"Look, I get that you're not comfortable discussing some things, but we're partners, right?  You know that I'm here for you if you need help."

"Well, I do need help with this."  He gave her a roguish grin as he pointed to his groin, and cranked up the charm.

He didn't get the lusty reaction he usually got from women, but then Lucifer wasn't expecting one.  Chloe just shook her head with a groan, letting the moment slide away, then turned and led him to the living room.  Lucifer perched himself on the nearby desk.  "Well then, if we're not doing the nasty, why did you tell me you needed me?"

"I need you to help me with Trixie."

"Oh." 

If it had been any other time, Chloe would have laughed at Lucifer's expression.  He looked like a deflated balloon.  "She's been having constant nightmares since the kidnapping," she told him.  "I don't know how to help her." 

Lucifer felt something squeeze in his chest.  He could see how distressed Chloe was, and it distressed him, in turn.  But he also didn't know how to help, and told her so. 

"She trusts you," Chloe said.  "I think you make her feel safe."

Lucifer felt a flush of pleasure at her words, which puzzled him.  He abhorred children, and yet the thought of the detective's child trusting him made him feel surprisingly… good.  First the detective, and now her spawn....  How long had it been since he had been trusted?

Not since The Fall, a tiny voice in his head whispered.

 "Maybe you can sit with her for a little while, just until she goes to sleep again.  I think if you're with her, she'll stop having nightmares."  Chloe looked at his horrified expression and said, "You would really be helping me out, you know.  And she likes you."

Sit with her child?  He cringed inwardly, and yet his heart -- was that his heart?  Did he have a heart? -- demanded that he say yes.  Should he?  Shouldn't he?

"So are you making a deal with the Devil?" he stalled.

"No.  I am asking my friend Lucifer for his help because he's a good man."

Damn it all to Hell.  There wasn't any way he wasn't going to help her after _that_ statement.  Knowing he was going to regret it, he heaved a big sigh and said, "Where is she?"

Chloe let out her breath slowly.  She hadn't even realized she had been holding it, until he had answered.  She led him to Trixie's door, and slowly opened it.

Trixie was in bed, but she wasn't asleep.  She was sitting up, hugging her knees to her chest, with pillows propped at her back against the headboard.  The lamp beside her was on, and its soft glow illuminated her big eyes and haunted expression.  The look was instantly replaced by delight as she saw Lucifer, and she squealed his name.  Chloe smiled as Lucifer took a step back, looking ready to bolt.  She knew he wouldn't, though.  She reached back and put a reassuring hand on his arm, easing him forward.

"Hello, little one," Lucifer said nervously.  He glanced at Trixie, then at her mother, then back at Trixie again.  He approached the pajama-clad girl warily, expecting her to pounce on him.  She usually gave him an exuberant hug, and he braced himself for it… but it never came.  A light seemed to dim inside her as fear crept back into her eyes.  Not as much fear as he had seen when they had first entered, but it was still there. 

Lucifer blinked at the change.  Usually the detective's daughter was filled with boundless exuberance, not... quiet like she was now.  It upset him, and he didn't know why.  Or maybe he did know why and didn't want to admit it.  He shoved the thought aside and focused on the little girl.

"I hear you are having a spot of trouble sleeping," he said as he stood by her bed.  He glanced back at Chloe, only to find the open doorway empty.  Bloody hell, she had left him alone with her spawn!  He frowned.  What did one say to a little human?  He had no idea.  Awkwardness overtook him.  He looked for a chair to sit on; there was none.  He wondered if he could make a break for the door; then Trixie said, "I have a nightmare.  It keeps coming back, and it scares me."

Something inside Lucifer's chest gave a squeeze.  He cursed inwardly at the strange feeling that made him sit next to her on the bed.

"Will you tell me about it?"

Trixie closed her eyes tightly.  "I don't want to."

Lucifer said nothing, merely waited.  Finally, she spoke in a small voice.

"The bad man, that Malcolm, the one who pulled me out of school… he's outside.  I'm trying to lock the door, but the door is too small and it keeps opening.  He pushes his way inside and I run.  The house is this house, but not this house.  There's a long hall.  You're lying on the floor with Mommy, and there's blood everywhere and you're both dead.  I know that he's killed you both.  The bad man is right behind me and I know he's going to kill me --!"

Trixie flung herself at Lucifer, burying her head against his chest, her little hands gripping his white shirt in a death grip.  Lucifer froze, his mind scrambling in panic.  He didn't know what to do.  The last time he had had any dealings with love or comfort had been eons ago.

"There, there," he soothed, patting her back awkwardly.  A part of his brain wondered what he was doing, or if he was even doing it right.  "You needn't worry anymore.  Malcolm is dead.  Your mother killed him."

"You said Malcolm killed you," Trixie whispered into his shirt.  "You had blood all over….  And you got better!  He might too!"

Lucifer continued to pat her back, trying his best to give comfort.  He could feel the terror coming off of her in waves, and he cursed Malcolm from one end of eternity to the other.  She was an innocent, and even though that miscreant was dead, he was still making her suffer.  It made Lucifer wish he could visit his old home and show Malcolm just how hellish Hell could really be.

"Malcolm cannot hurt you.  He's in Hell."

"How do you know he's in Hell?"

Lucifer let out a bark of laughter.  "Trust me, little one, I know."

"But what if he gets out?"

"He won't.  Hell is a secure place.  Well, fairly secure."  He shuddered as an image of Mom's wide-open cell flashed through his mind.  "But you needn't worry about Malcolm.  He's well taken care of."

"And you're sure he won't come back?" Trixie asked.

"Without a doubt.  He will never bother you again."  Lucifer took the little girl by the shoulders, and eased her from him enough so that he could see her face.  "You believe me?"

Trixie bobbed her head once.

He looked deep into her eyes, and said reassuringly, "You must remember that your mother will always protect you."

"And you, Lucifer?  Will you protect me too?"

Lucifer felt an odd tightening in his chest.  "Yes, child, I will also."

Lucifer felt Trixie's body relax as she looked up at him happily.  Her open and trusting expression warmed his insides.  Lucifer's breath caught; no one had looked at him like that in a very long time.  It made him feel ten feet tall, made him feel like... like he still had his wings.  And _that_ was very unsettling.  He swallowed hard and tamped down the sudden urge to run out of the house, screaming.

Lucifer cleared his throat and said brusquely, "Right.  No more nightmares.  I believe a little shut-eye is now in order."  He stood up abruptly and tucked in the little girl as she scooted down under the covers and lay down.  "Now go to sleep, little human," he said as he reached over and turned off the lamp.  Moonlight filtered through Trixie's window, painting the room in dark blues and grays.

"Will you stay with me?  Until I fall asleep?"  She reached out and took his large hand in her small one.

Lucifer, who had intended on escaping, sat right back down.  He stared at the tiny hand in his, and suddenly felt very powerless, which was strange, seeing as how he was a very powerful being, indeed.

He surprised himself when he said, "I will stay, child."  He ran his free hand over his face, wondering if dying had damaged him mentally.  He tapped Trixie's side through the bed covers.  "Right.  Move over, then.  I may as well be comfortable." 

Trixie made room as Lucifer lay down on top of the covers and stretched out his long frame.  He noted absently that his feet hung over the end of the bed.  Bloody uncomfortable, but strangely, it didn't bother him.  Perhaps it was because the human spawn had snuggled up beside him, which made the warm feeling in his chest grow.

"Can you tell me a story?" she asked.

Lucifer propped himself up on his elbows and stared at her, all agog.  "A story?!"

"You know, a bedtime story.  Mommy tells me a story all the time, to help me sleep."  Her eyes were twinkling, which made Lucifer suspicious... not that his suspicions would do him any good.  The tiny human had him twisted around her little finger and damned if he knew how to stop her.  He sighed and lay back down.

"I... I don't know any stories," he said.  "Well, none that are suitable for young ears.  Shall I tell you about the movie your mother was in...?"

"Seen it already."

"Oh." 

"You must know at least one story!"

Lucifer thought hard, not wanting to disappoint the girl, then smiled.  "Well, I do know of one story..."

"Goodie!"

"Once there was a --"

"You have to start with 'once upon a time.'  All stories start with 'once upon a time.'"

"On the contrary," Lucifer said with a frown.  "I know one that starts with 'in the beginning....'"

Trixie laughed.  "That's the _Bible_.  I want a bedtime story!"

Lucifer capitulated.  "Very well, then.  Once upon a time, there was a king with many children.  He asked his children to help him build his kingdom.  His children loved him very much, so they worked hard for him.  They never questioned their orders, for they didn't know how.  They were good children and they each had a job.  One son brought light to every corner of the kingdom, brightening the night sky.  They called him the Lightbringer."

"Was he a prince?" interrupted Trixie.

Lucifer thought a moment, then smiled wryly.  "I suppose you could say that."

"Then he's a prince.  All stories have a prince."

"Do they?"

"Yes, they all have a handsome prince and a beautiful princess." Trixie said with conviction.

Lucifer chuckled, and said, "Well, the prince was very handsome, if I may say so myself.

"When the realm was created, the king called his children to his side.  He said, 'My children, you have great talents.  Now that we have made the kingdom, I shall assign to each of you a specific task that best suits your personality.'  And so the king gave each of his children a specific job: one became a healer, another became a teacher, yet another became a messenger, and so forth, until there was only one child left – the Lightbringer Prince.

"The prince asked his father, 'What will you have me do?'

"'You are my best and brightest,' said the king.  'My favorite son.  You have brought light to my kingdom, and I am greatly pleased.  Now I ask you to bring light in a different way.  I entrust to you the hardest and most difficult job, for you have the strength of heart to execute what I am about to ask.  Your brother, the Protector Prince, shall be my right hand.  And you shall be my left.  Whereas your brother shall protect my people, you will be there to seek out those with evil intentions, with dark hearts, and punish them when they stray from the path of righteousness.  Be my left hand and enforce my will.  In this manner will good flourish and light reign supreme.'

"The Lightbringer Prince took on his new assignment, for he loved his father and wished to please him.  In the name of his father, he sought out and punished those subjects who would do harm to the kingdom."

"So the prince was like Mommy?  A police officer?" Trixie asked.

Lucifer smiled a bit.  "Something like that.  But the Lightbringer Prince's brothers and sisters did not understand his work, for the king told no one that the prince acted as his left hand.  The siblings took pity upon the wrongdoers, and grew to resent the Lightbringer Prince.

"The prince was aware of his siblings' contempt, but he made excuses for them, telling himself that they simply did not understand.  He continued his work, and found that more and more of the king's subjects strayed from the path of righteousness.  He punished them, as was his duty, but it puzzled him that his father did not simply order them to stop.

"So one day, he approached the king and asked why he tolerated such behavior from his subjects, when the king demanded obedience from his own children.  The king told the Lightbringer Prince that he indulged his subjects because they had free will and could do whatever they pleased.

"The prince then realized that he did not have free will, nor did any of his brothers and sisters.  They had no choice but to obey their father.  Up until that time, the concept of free will had been alien to him, but now it was as if a curtain had been pulled away.

"And so the Lightbringer Prince sought freedom for his brothers and sisters.  He asked the king to release them from his service, and let them be in control of their own fates, so that they could make their own choices and their own mistakes.

"The king grew angry at the request, for he had a plan, something he called The Grand Design, which he claimed would be put in jeopardy if his children suddenly started opposing his orders.  He couldn't afford to let his children be free.  He told the prince that his children had no choice but to do his bidding.

"The prince argued that it was unjust that they should be held in bondage, while others went free.  If the king was going to let his subjects be free, then everyone, especially his own children, should be free.  But the king would not listen.  He accused the prince of being jealous and grasping, of organizing an insurrection to destroy the kingdom from the inside out.  He accused the prince of wanting the throne for himself, which was ridiculous, because the prince loved the king more than anyone else in the world.  But before the prince could deny these accusations, the king had him banished from the castle and thrown into a deep dungeon at the far edge of the kingdom."  Lucifer stared distantly at the ceiling as harsh memories clamored up and threatened to drown him. 

 _"Arrogant, mutinous son!  How dare you seek to unmake what has always been!  You would wreak havoc among the heavens with your demands of 'free will,' and anarchy would reign.  You disappoint me, Samael.  You were my best and brightest, and I spoiled you too much.  But let it not be said that I am without mercy.  I will give you a gift -- Hell.  Reign as you like there, with your poisonous rhetoric._ "

It was Trixie's sympathetic voice that brought him back.  "Oh no, the poor prince!  That was so unfair!"

Her voice startled him, and he jumped.  To cover up his discomfiture he cleared his throat and continued.  "Yes, wasn't it?"  The tall man glanced at the child beside him, his expression softer than it had ever been. Trixie looked interested, and for reasons he could not fathom, he wanted to tell her the rest of it.  It felt good to finally be able to tell his side of the story. 

"He was trying to make everyone free!  Didn't he tell his brothers and sisters what happened?" Trixie said indignantly.

"He tried....  Before he was taken away to the dungeon, he tried to tell them what had happened, of the falsehoods the king had accused him of.  But no one believed him.  They called him the Prince of Lies.  It was his word against their father, and no one wanted to believe the truth.  No one ever believed him.

"And so the prince stayed in the dungeon for many years.  The king sent many bad people down to the dungeon.  The prince punished them, for he was still the king's left hand, but he was angry, bitter and hurt, and felt betrayed by his father.  His siblings refused to see him.  He was alone for a very long time.

"Time passed.  How much, I cannot tell you.  In that time people came to shun the very name of the Lightbringer Prince, and assigned every evil known in the world to him, even though the prince had never left the dungeon.  And the prince could do nothing to stop it, could do nothing to clear his name.  The vilification by his father was complete."

Lucifer jumped when Trixie threw an arm over his chest and hugged him hard.  "That's so wrong!" she cried.  "He was trying to do the right thing!"

Lucifer felt as if his heart would burst.  For the first time in ages, someone understood.  "Thank you, child," he whispered so softly that she didn't hear.  He cleared his throat and continued in an upbeat voice.

"Fear not, for the prince had had enough.  After years of pondering over and over what had happened with the king, he realized that he had been played royally -- the king had planned it all in order to set up a dichotomy of good versus evil, so that his free subjects would obey him because they feared the Lightbringer Prince.  The king had manipulated his people, despite granting them free will.  So much for free will….  And the prince had fallen right into the king's hands.

"Well, no more!  He knew he had to leave so that his father would no longer be able to manipulate him, and he wanted a taste of the freedom of which he spoke so long ago.  He planned his escape carefully, so that no one would not be able to stop him.

"And so, when he saw his chance, he seized it and made his escape.   He clawed his way out of the dungeon, and emerged… to a changed world.  So much time had passed that no one recognized him.  The prince hoped that he could work this to his advantage, somehow reinvent himself, and become a free man. 

"He had the feeling that his father knew of his escape, but no one pursued him… at least not for a long while.  He soon became distracted by the wonders of the world.  He began to explore everything he had missed during his long confinement in the dungeon.  Freedom was addictive, and he enjoyed every aspect of it.  It was during this time that he met a beautiful woman --"

"Was she a princess?"

"Well, her mother was quite famous -- a queen in the performing arts -- so yes!  How very insightful of you."  Lucifer chuckled.  "The beautiful princess had thought to follow in her mother's footsteps but had decided to make her own way into the world.  She was strong and just and brave.  The prince was fascinated by her.  She resisted his charms, but in due time they became friends...."

Lucifer trailed off, the thought of Chloe distracting him.  He had become friends with her, indeed.  She was the only one who accepted him for who he was, not what people believed him to be, and he was grateful for that.  Her perception of him was the only thing that mattered to him.  And she was changing him; he wasn't sure if it was for better or worse, but he welcomed it.  After all, wasn't that why he had left Hell?  To change?

Trixie nudged him, breaking him out of his reverie.  "Tell me about the prince and princess!  Did he fall in love with her?"

"What?"  Lucifer blinked.  Did he love Chloe?  That was worrisome.  His track record with love was awful.  He had loved his father -- look at what had come out of that.  He had loved his siblings, and they had turned on him, hated him.  It felt so different with Chloe, but if she turned on him in the end as all the others did, he knew he would never recover.

Bloody hell, there was that vulnerable, run-away-screaming feeling again.  He swallowed hard, then studied the little girl.  "Shouldn't you be asleep by now?"

"I want to know what happens with the prince and princess!"

Lucifer shook his head.  "That, child, is a story for another time.  Now go to sleep."

There was a long pause before Trixie asked in a small voice, "Are you sure the bad man won't come?"

"Rest easy, child.  He won't.  I'm here."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have never read the Lucifer comics or John Milton, and I don't know much about angels, so I tried to find out what I could online about Samael, who was still fetching souls in Moses’ time. One website said that he punished men on behalf of God, and another obscure website referred to him as God’s left hand, so I tried to incorporate that into the story. I read in some article that the series leans toward Old Testament God, so I made Michael His right hand. I'm sorry for taking all these liberties with the angels and God, and I hope I haven't offended anyone. 
> 
> Lucifer is not evil in the show, so this is my attempt to explain why he fell. I know the Fall happened before Eden, but I had to shuffle the events around for everything to make sense. I also wanted to explain why Lucifer would be so big on punishing people. Yes, it could be because he despises humans, but that seems malicious and out of character. He has said frequently that he is not evil, he punishes evil. I figured that maybe he didn't have a choice....?
> 
> Sorry about losing Lucifer's voice during story-time, but I figured that he wouldn't be joking around when he's retelling the worst time of his life.


	3. The aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe thanks Lucifer after Trixie goes to sleep.

 

 

Chloe entered the dark room twenty minutes later to see Lucifer lying beside a sleeping Trixie, who had one arm outside the covers and slung over the tall man's chest.  Relief and gratefulness filled her heart when she saw Trixie sleeping peacefully at last.  She never would have expected the womanizing club owner to be so kind to her daughter, but there it was.  She smiled at the picture they made, then jumped when Lucifer opened one eye and whispered, "That was very unsporting of you, abandoning me as you did."

She chuckled and said, "I didn't abandon you.  I was listening outside the door the entire time."

He snorted in disbelief as she came closer and helped disentangle him from her sleeping daughter.  The bed creaked as he quietly swung his feet over the edge and stood up.  He followed Chloe out of Trixie's room, waiting until she closed the girl's door before he spoke.

"Do you really tell her a bedtime story all the time?  It's bloody exhausting!"

Chloe shook her head with a smile.  "I just tell her stories on Fridays and Saturdays, because there's no school the next day.  Trixie loves stories, so they never make her fall asleep.  You've been played."

"Well, well!  Clever as the Devil and twice as pretty," Lucifer said as he looked at the girl's closed door, quite pleased at her cunning.  Chloe laughed, and Lucifer brightened at the sound.  He did so love her laugh.

"You're very sweet," she said.

"My dear detective, the Devil is not sweet," Lucifer groused, although her words and the look she gave him filled him with pleasure.

She laughed again, took his hands in hers, and squeezed, trying to convey how grateful she was.  She didn't give him a hug like she wanted to, because he had totally freaked out the last time she had gotten touchy-feely with him, and besides, it was best not to give him any ideas.  Looking deep into his eyes, she simply said, "Thank you."

There it was again.... That buzz, that high, that thrill that he had felt when she had thrown her drunken self at him, and he had turned her down.  It pushed away that constant anxiety he had felt since coming back from Hell, and he reveled in it.  He felt like he was flying.  "You're welcome."

She pulled away and started pulling blankets out of a nearby closet.  "You'll be all right on the couch?"

He could have made some sexual comment, some innuendo, but didn't.  He merely nodded, speechless at the feelings running rampant in him.  He didn't want to spoil the rush, or let it go.  Wordlessly, he took the blankets she handed him and stretched out on her couch.  He took a long look at her in her old nightshirt and tousled hair, and thought she had never looked more beautiful.  "Goodnight, Detective."

She gave him a beatific smile that rivaled those of his siblings, and said, "Goodnight, Lucifer."  As she walked away, she threw over her shoulder: "Oh, and if your dad is anything like the king in your story, then he's an ass."

Chloe heard Lucifer's deep chuckle behind her; she smiled all the way to her bedroom.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked my interpretation of The Fall. Thanks for reading!


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